Gift Giving Ideas for People Who Love Dogs

All of us have a friend or relative who loves their dog. They carry pictures in their wallets or purses, take vacations with their pet and talk about them all the time. Buying a gift for someone who loves their dog can be daunting with all the possibilities. Here is some help narrowing down the options available for gift giving to a pet owner. 1. Create Your Own Gift - If you are creative this is...

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Boring Ordinary Dog Tags - Are There Better-looking Personalized Dog Tags Out There...?

Moses Chia


I was wondering if you share the same problem as myself 5 months back?
You see. I failed to find any unique or good-looking personalized dog tags anywhere - online or offline!
The search mission for a better-looking tag started when my girlfriend, Alice bought a new Chihuahua pup - Misty. While looking for a dog tag, she complained to me that most of the dog tags available are both too ordinary and actually boring looking....
"C'mon, there must be better-looking ones..." I assured her confidently and went online to look for one.
To my surprise, I can't find any! All the tags I found online are deemed boring and not unique at all... at least according to her standard.
I even went to the local pet shops - the dog tags there are not any better, if not worse. Ordinary engraved dog tags - I guess they must have been around for at least 15 years. And they still look the same today. Amazing!!!
Ok, I admit. I did find some good-looking personalized dog tags online - there are some high-end ones, such as sapphire, real silver, gold, and even diamond embedded dog tags. But seriously, I'm just not prepared to pay hundreds on a dog tag! I'll rather spend the money on better grooming services or maybe on her food.
I'm looking for something in the range of maybe 10-20 dollars maximum.
2 days later... I gave up. I simply can't find any!
I decided to custom make one for Misty - to keep Alice happy of course. ;-)
With the help of a friend, Lee who is in the plaque business and with his (trade secret) coating technique, I can basically put any artwork, graphic and even image onto the tag. I went on to design Misty's personalized dog tag.
Using the idea of a newborn baby permit I saw online, a good-looking (newborn pet permit) tag with Alice's contact information and Misty's image was made.
Alice was happy when she saw the tag. It was unique, personalized, and one of its kind. It was special, just like her pup - Misty.
But... her happiness did not last long. The tag was not scratch-resistant! The design started to peel off slowly. It was good-looking... but not functional.
Frustrated but not about to give up, (seriously, I don't have any solution at all then) Lee then coated the tag with his company's patented protective coating.
Problem solved! Misty's personalized dog tag is now scratch-resistant and anti-tarnish (image won't turn yellowish over time) because of the coating. It was even better-looking now! Because the coating leaves the tag with a beautiful glossy finished.
8 weeks of research and development (definitely much longer if without my Lee's help, this article may makes it look easy... trust me. its not.), close to a thousand dollars spent. A good-looking, highly personalized dog tag was born.
"Was it worth all the effort?" If you ask me, I seriously don't have the answer.
But I admit I did learn a lot from this experience... and of course in the process http://www.dogcustomer.com was born. I'll leave that story to another day.
My stand is that Misty won't feel the difference between wearing a conventional engrave dog tag or a highly personalized good-looking dog tag. Only Alice will... and only Alice will understand why she wants that...
About the author: About the Author: Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of http://www.dogcustomer.com - Positively the best-looking personalized dog tags and pet I.D. tags your money can get - Guaranteed.

Crate Training Tips

I, like many people, use crate training as an effective means of housebreaking puppies. There are, however, misunderstandings of the proper methods of crate training. Many well-meaning people with the intended goal of housebreaking puppies end up putting their pet in dangerous and unhealthy situations. The first step in crate training is to get a cage big enough for your dog. If you are housebreaking puppies, get one big enough for them to grow in. But if it's too large, your pet may end up using one end as an elimination area. Keep in mind that some crates offer divider panels to expand the...

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The latest information and news on Dog Care Advice:

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Killing of Mayor's 2 Dogs Justified, Pr. George's Finds (Washington Post)
The Prince George's County Sheriff's Office has concluded in an internal review that its deputies were justified when they shot and killed two dogs belonging to the mayor of Berwyn Heights during a July drug raid, Sheriff Michael Jackson said yesterday.
Dogs kill beloved pet (WPTV West Palm Beach)
Two dogs in Lake Worth break free of their yard and kill a neighbor's cat.
Pets' Corner: I don't have time for my dogs (Independent)
I have two beautiful dogs that I've owned for about five years. But I am struggling with work commitments, which are taking me away from home a lot. I walk them in the morning and evening, and I have a dog walker who pops in twice a week, but I don't know how much longer I can afford this. Am I being cruel by leaving them for so long? Is it time for me to say goodbye to them? Lindsey, via ...
Vick's Dogs Playful After Pit Bull Rehab (ABC News)
At Utah animal sanctuary, Michael Vick's dogs get a second chance.
Protecting Kids As Well As Dogs (KOLD News 13 Tuscon)
There are laws in Tucson to protect dogs and cats which are left in hot cars, but there is no law to protect children. That may change.
National Geographic rescues Vick's dogs (14 WFIE Evansville)
"Despite the horrors they've experienced, these dogs have made astounding progress, proof that every dog deserves a second chance," says Dogtown producer Darcy Dennett.
Where are the dogs? (Paris Beacon)
?What happened to my dogs?? that is the question Paris resident Deanna Kennedy has been asking for almost two weeks now. Kennedy was greeted at her door by members of the Edgar County Sheriff?s Department Aug. 23 for complaints on her two large dogs running loose.
Berks kennel raided; eight dogs are removed (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Humane agents raided a commercial dog-breeding kennel in Berks County yesterday and removed eight dogs with severe health problems, officials said.
Television | Abused dogs get fresh chance (The Columbus Dispatch)
Michael Vick achieved an approval rating even lower than the president's when his dogfighting ring was exposed last year. In the aftermath, many pundits suggested that Vick's dogs needed to be euthanized. The premiere episode of DogTown offers some rare good news from the heart-wrenching story.
Officers learn first aid for police dogs (Tahoe Daily Tribune)
Police dogs face a variety of dangers while performing their duties, including some that human officers don't.

A Look at Discount Dog Beds

Many people want to make sure their family pet has just the right bed, but might not be willing to pay the (often quite hefty) price. It's actually more difficult to find designer and luxury dog beds especially for oversized pets than it is to find discount dog beds for average sized animals. If you're not too fussy about the design of the fabrics being used in the bed; if your dog is of average size and weight; and if her sleeping habits are not too extreme in the curling up or stretching out situations; you can probably save a lot of money when you purchase a dog bed that's right for her. To...

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